Chiefs’ keys vs. the Raiders: Forget the bus, limit explosive plays and contain Jacobs
The 8-1 Chiefs can open a three-game lead in the AFC West with a road win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium.
A Chiefs victory in the Week 11 game would also make up for a Week 5 loss to the Raiders.
The AFC West-rival franchises will clash for the 121st time, with the Chiefs holding a 65-53-2 edge in the series. The Chiefs have won 11 of the last 13 matchups.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs against the Raiders (6-3).
LIMIT EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
The Chiefs learned plenty of lessons in Week 5, and the biggest should be not allowing explosive plays — defined as 20 yards or more.
The Raiders recorded seven such plays, including six through the air, against a shell-shocked Chiefs defense en route to a 40-32 win last month. Rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs gashed the Chiefs with two of his own: a 72-yard touchdown play and a 46-yard catch. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor also recorded a 59-yard score.
The Raiders produced 490 total yards of offense in the game to the Chiefs’ 413.
The Chiefs, for the most part, have done a good job in limiting explosive plays this season, and most defenses can survive allowing a couple in a game — but not seven. One could argue that Week 5 was an anomaly because the Chiefs’ defense has been good this season, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knows his squad cannot let it happen again.
“I’ve got to be a little bit smarter with the calls that I make and everybody’s eyes and what they’re doing,” Spagnuolo said. “And everybody does their job a little bit better and hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
CONTAIN JACOBS, TAKE IV
Second-year running back Josh Jacobs must like playing the Chiefs.
In three career games against Kansas City, he has amassed 280 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. In Week 5 against the Chiefs, Jacobs anchored a ground attack that totaled 144 yards rushing, which helped the Raiders to a 35:17-24:43 edge in time of possession.
The Chiefs enter Sunday’s game ranked 29th in the NFL against the run, allowing 138.4 yards per game. But their defense has been better overall and they should be rested after an off-week.
Arguably the best way for the Chiefs to make a statement in this one would be to shut down Jacobs and the Raiders’ ground attack and force Derek Carr to pass. Kansas City’s eighth-ranked pass defense is one of the NFL’s best.
EXPLOIT DEPLETED RAIDERS DEFENSE
The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the Raiders in recent days: They had 11 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list at midweek.
Some notable defenders might not play for Vegas Sunday, including defensive end Clelin Ferrell, safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Maliek Collins and defensive end Arden Key. The Raiders could be forced to utilize multiple backups and perhaps even some players called up from their practice squad.
If there’s a team with an offense equipped to exploit this, it’s the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a front-runner for the league’s MVP award he won two seasons ago, and he threw for 340 yards and two TDs against the Raiders in Week 11.
Mahomes is surrounded by weapons, too, such as wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. If the Raiders are shorthanded on defense, the Chiefs will pounce.
IGNORE OUTSIDE NOISE
Is there a revenge factor involved in this game?
Perhaps, especially with the Chiefs knowing the Raiders reportedly took their team bus on a victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium following their win last month. But the Chiefs shouldn’t get caught up in the hype, even if they disagreed with the Raiders’ joyride.
The defending Super Bowl champions don’t come across as a team that needs extra motivation to take care of business.
“It really doesn’t shape how we’re going to prepare or do anything different,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Thursday when asked about the bus ride. “The only thing that we need to know is to make sure that we’re mentally and physically prepared to go out and play a 60-minute hard-fought battle.”
Bieniemy’s businesslike approach is a reminder that there’s more at stake Sunday than revenge. The Chiefs need to keep pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) in the race for AFC’s No. 1 seed.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
